CJARLOTTE, N.C. --

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It's one of many questions more than 1,000 of your friends and neighbors answered that will help Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation make a plan for the next 10 years.

The answer to the zoo, aquarium or botanical gardens question was murky at best. Survey respondents liked the zoo the best (33 percent), then the gardens (29 percent), the aquarium was a close third (26 percent) and 13 percent wanted none of it.

This kind of statistical dead heat really doesn’t help the county make a decision at all.

There were some topics, though, that left no doubt as to how the public uses their parks system and what they want in the future.

76 percent of people surveyed visited a park in the last year.

90 percent rated the parks good or excellent.

81 percent did not take part in an organized program at any park facility.

More than 60 percent use a park because they want to enjoy the outdoors and there is a park close to their home.

76 percent of respondents say they need more walking and biking trails.

More than 60 percent want more parks, small neighborhood parks and large district parks.

Greenways and green space were another hot issue with people who took part in the survey. More than half feel there is not enough of this kind of public space within walking distance of their homes.

Couple that with nearly 80 percent of people feeling greenways should be bought and kept by the county to ensure environmental protection and it is a safe bet the county will respond by buying up land in the near future.

Other areas that garnered lots of good public feedback were specialty facilities such as skate parks, spray grounds, and dog parks. There was a clear need demonstrated for more of this in the survey results.

In the programs category, the things that got the most positive support were special events and festivals. An example would be something like the annual Bark in the Bark festival coming up at the end of April in south Charlotte’s Davie Park.

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This whole survey is one of the key components in a process Mecklenburg Parks & Recreation is going through right now. They are developing what they call their master plan for the next 10 years.

While the 1,033 people that filled out surveys are a diverse mix and represent the county’s population fairly accurately, there is time and opportunity for more people to give even more feedback.

There are a series of countywide public sessions planned. Anyone can attend and talk directly to consultants and park officials about the directions they are leaning.

Here is a list of the meeting times and places:

Feb. 25, 6:30 pm: Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Beatties Ford Road

Feb. 26, 6:30 pm: Cornelius Town Hall

Feb. 27, 6:30 pm: Matthews Town Hall

Feb. 28, 6:30 pm: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center

Needs aren’t the only things that will be open for discussion. Without adding a single thing to the existing parks system, it will cost an estimated $51 million just to maintain what’s already there over the next decade.

Obviously, more space and more facilities would mean more costs and most likely another bond referendum to pay for most of it.

Through the survey, Park & Recreation estimates support for such a referendum in the 50 to 70 percent range.

They hope these meetings and using so much user-generated feedback will not only ensure the public gets what it wants, but that they are also willing to pay for it.

To watch some of the interview with Leon Younger, the county’s consultant for the parks' master plan, check the sidebar of this article.